Chiba Prefectural Police headquarters (Mainichi/Mayumi Nobuta)

       CHIBA -- Police arrested a 49-year-old man in this east Japan city on Sept. 7 on suspicion of beaming light from a laser-like device at a Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) helicopter on a training exercise in June.

       Chiba Prefectural Police's Chiba-Higashi Police Station arrested Kazunari Mizuochi, a temporary worker who lives in the city's Wakaba Ward, on suspicion of forcible obstruction of business.

       Mizuochi allegedly obstructed the training exercise by directing the beam at a special transportation helicopter that belongs to Camp Kisarazu in the same prefecture at around 8:45 p.m. on June 8, while the GSDF was conducting night flight training above the city's Chuo and Wakaba wards. He has apparently admitted to the charge.

       According to the police station and other sources, the blue beam was apparently pointed at the helicopter as it flew at an altitude of about 500 meters. Neither of the two crew members were injured, and the chopper did not sustain any damage. Mizuochi is thought to have emitted the beam from the balcony of his home.

       (Japanese original by Tatsuya Naganuma, Chiba Bureau)

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